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One of the most exciting things about living in our ever-connected, "nothing is ever lost" digital era is the ready availability of tremendous documentary films, from all over the world and about all manner of subjects, via outlets such as YouTube, Netflix and Vimeo. The tremendous Feature Shoot blog recently linked to a perfect example of this, a 2001 French documentary about iconic Magnum photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. The hour-plus subtitled film includes intimate moments with the photographer, as well as in-depth interviews touching on everything from photographic philosophy to technique, and incorporating interviews with other artists in genres from motion pictures to music. Just being able to spend a few moments, virtually, with one of the best photographers of all time... Well, it's invaluable. We're fortunate to live in the era we do.

One of the most exciting things about living in our ever-connected, "nothing is ever lost" digital era is the ready availability of tremendous documentary films, from all over the world and about all manner of subjects, via outlets such as YouTube, Netflix and Vimeo. The tremendous Feature Shoot blog recently…

Those for whom the $7,000 Leica M-9 digital rangefinder is not luxurious enough are finally in luck. Leica has partnered with elite fashion house Hermes to create a limited edition deluxe version of the camera at the downright discount price of $50,000. (It is a kit, after all.) Not convinced it's worth it? Then take a look at this sumptuously gorgeous video about the making of the Hermes edition of the Leica M9-P. The camera is certainly a work of art, and this video itself also comes darn close. If you didn't appreciate fine craftsmanship before, you definitely will after watching this.

Those for whom the $7,000 Leica M-9 digital rangefinder is not luxurious enough are finally in luck. Leica has partnered with elite fashion house Hermes to create a limited edition deluxe version of the camera at the downright discount price of $50,000. (It is a kit, after all.) Not convinced…

Every time you take a picture with a digital camera there's a unique serial number embedded into the EXIF data inside each image file. Along with data about exposure, lens, flash and all sorts of useful information, that serial number can actually come in very handy in case your camera is lost or stolen. How? Because we live in a connected online world, chances are pretty high that photos from digital cameras will eventually be uploaded to the web—via social media, blogs or other connected applications. And that means a smart developer can create a program that allows you to scour the web for your camera's unique serial number should that camera go missing. Thankfully a group of smart developers has come together to create the open source StolenCameraFinder, which makes it easy to find your photos—and eventually your missing camera—with a simple drag and drop interface. Even if you don't know your camera's serial number, all you have to do is drag a photo from that camera onto the StolenCameraFinder home page and it will get to searching by scouring the internet and examining EXIF data of JPEG files to find a matching serial number.

Every time you take a picture with a digital camera there's a unique serial number embedded into the EXIF data inside each image file. Along with data about exposure, lens, flash and all sorts of useful information, that serial number can actually come in very handy in case your camera…

When I first found this blog post (courtesy of the amazing Subtraction design blog) I thought, "I don't need to know about Photoshop Blend Modes. I already know what they do." But then I thought about it for a moment and realized that, really, I just know the basics of what effect I will achieve from only a handful of these layer blending modes. And even though I "know" what those do, I couldn't really explain it in English—which means maybe I don't fully understand exactly how they work. And what about the ones I just click and test to see what will happen? Thankfully Angie Bowen has written a detailed, plain English explanation of all of Photoshop's blend modes on her My Ink Blog. Plain English explanations are helpful for understanding how each blend mode works, and illustrations show you results as well. It's a great place to start if you'd like a better understanding of these powerful layer adjustments.

When I first found this blog post (courtesy of the amazing Subtraction design blog) I thought, "I don't need to know about Photoshop Blend Modes. I already know what they do." But then I thought about it for a moment and realized that, really, I just know the basics of…

I've been looking forward to the London Olympics practically since the Beijing games came to a close. The spectacle is unlike any other, and I love the beautiful images that come out of the TV coverage as well as the still photographer army covering the games. This year there will be a robotic addition to that photographic army, as two Reuters photographers are busily installing almost a dozen robotically controlled DSLRs into various venues around the city. Controlled remotely by computer, the cameras are positioned high above the action in each venue—places where human photographers could never go—and can be zoomed, panned, rotated and focused, all from a remote location. Read all about it on the Reuters blog, and look for their images in the coming weeks. Thanks to DP Review for pointing out this great story of what's sure to be another example of Olympic excellence.

I've been looking forward to the London Olympics practically since the Beijing games came to a close. The spectacle is unlike any other, and I love the beautiful images that come out of the TV coverage as well as the still photographer army covering the games. This year there will…

Just last week I mentioned some tremendous instructional videos for studio lighting techniques with a variety of light modifiers. That reminded me of another great series of instructional videos that are just right—neither too basic nor too advanced. The thing about these videos is that they're understandable to photographers of practically any skill level, but they're also not lacking in the technical information more advanced users will appreciate. Anyway, the series is called Digital Photography 1 on 1, and it's a really great place to look for assistance if you're trying to learn more about photography and lighting. They're the creation of photo educator Mark Wallace, who teaches workshops around the country, and there are literally hundreds of these great videos available on his Snapfactory YouTube channel. He's been uploading for more than five years, so you know he's no late comer to the video tutorial party; he's serious about this stuff and it shows. Check them out if you'd like to brush up on your skills, because no matter your experience you're sure to find something worthwhile in these tremendous videos.

Just last week I mentioned some tremendous instructional videos for studio lighting techniques with a variety of light modifiers. That reminded me of another great series of instructional videos that are just right—neither too basic nor too advanced. The thing about these videos is that they're understandable to photographers of…